Always You
by xfirefly9x
Summary: Sam/Jack ficlets.
1. Forever Haunted

**Forever Haunted**

Prompt: #027 Stolen Moments and #000 Haunted  
Notes: Written for 50episodes and the 2007 Muskrat L-Jamboree!. Thanks to venom69 and lolita scully for the beta help!

So many stolen moments had crept up on Sam and Jack, despite their attempts to push them away. Interrupted almost-kisses that were never supposed to happen in the first place were among them, as were the tender looks that showed everything they felt for each other and more.

It would be stupid to think that they would come to a point where the moments no longer flooded them and threatened to pull them under. Despite that, they strived to make the impossible possible – they did everything in their power to deny the existence of whatever it was between them and made sure that they were able to prevent anything more from happening.

Rejecting any thoughts of what could be between them was the only option they had, given their careers and military statuses, after all. Any potential that may have been there could only be ignored.

In all likelihood, it seemed that they would be haunted by their feelings for the rest of their lives – or at least for the remainder of the time that theyspent working together. Either way, they were trapped in their desire for each other.

Stolen moments, as far as they could tell, would haunt them always.


	2. No Other Way

**No Other Way**

_Notes: Written for sg1 15 fics._

"Don't do it!" Sam pleaded. "Jack!"

She reached out with a shaky hand and grasped wildly at the edges of his shirt. The rough fabric caught between two fingers and she managed to hold on for three long seconds before it slipped out of her grip.

"Jack!" Sam repeated, tears stinging her eyes. She tried to grab at him again, but he was too far away, and the edges of his shirt – or anything else, for that matter – were out of reach. She couldn't move. She couldn't get to him. He was ignoring her.

"Please, Jack!" she whimpered. "Don't leave me. There's got to be another way!"

Finally, he turned to look at her. His eyes were cold and determined and…they weren't his. They were the eyes of someone about to willing to face their death. It wasn't him. It _couldn't_ be!

Jack shook his head in apology and swallowed. His mind was set.

"There is no other way."


	3. Copying Equations

**_Copying Equations_**

"You know," Jack said, "I think I might actually be getting the hang of this." He grinned and tapped his pen excitedly on the table. "It's much easier than it sounds." He tapped some more. And some more.

Across from him, Sam smirked and nodded her head. "It's about time it sunk in! It's only been three hours!" She paused. "And by the way, you really shouldn't drink too much coffee. You're practically bouncing off the walls."

Jack stopped tapping and chewed thoughtfully on the end of his pen, one eyebrow raised. "_I _shouldn't drink so much coffee?" He nodded at the four empty coffee cups on Sam's desk. He knew very well that they were all from that day. He'd been by Sam's side for hours avoiding his own paperwork and had witnessed her drinking it.

"And hey!" he added. "Three hours isn't that long. You make it sound like I'm not as smart as you."

"Well, sir…"

"Ah! Carter. Let's just skip over the part where you answer that and get back to the part where I'm starting to understand this." Jack pierced her with a glance, his chocolate brown eyes dark and intense. And shining with amusement.

Sam grinned. "If you say so, sir." She reached for the notepad Jack had been busily writing in. "Let's see how well you went."

She shuffled through the five pages he'd managed to fill. Her brow creased. She smiled. "I didn't know you could do this," she said, pointing at the messy – but surprisingly correct – equations.

Jack shrugged and lazily slumped back in his chair, his hands folded over the back of his head. "I can't," he grinned. "I was bored and thought I'd try writing upside down."

Sam raised an eyebrow. "The equations are all right, though. How did you – "

Jack nodded at the open textbook beside him. It was facing Sam and all it took was one glance for her to realise what he'd done.

"Oh. You copied it." She offered a puzzled look as if to say 'why?'.

"That I did," Jack agreed. "It took me three hours to master, but master I did. I can finally write upside down!"

_fin._


	4. Yours Always

**_Yours Always_**

Sam,

Today I watched a man die. I was watching him as he took his last breath and it made me think about things.

Life. Death. It's fragile. And in our line of work, it's worse. Every day that we go to work, we risk our lives. We could die at any moment.

I don't want to die without telling you that I care about you a lot and not just because I have to. You mean more to me than I can put into words. You know I'm not the best with words.

Know that I'll always be there for you, no matter what.

Yours always,

Jack.

_fin._


	5. City Of The Trees

**_City Of The Trees_**

"This is crazy!" Sam exclaimed, slamming her hands down on the map lying across her lap. "We've been driving for what is it now? Five hours?"

"That sounds right," Jack confirmed without taking his eyes from the road. His fingers tapped the steering wheel.

"We're lost, Jack."

He flicked his eyes over to look at her for a moment and then focused back on the road. His lips formed a thin line.

"Admit it," she insisted. "You don't know where we are or how to find our way to the hotel."

Around them were trees, trees and yet more trees. They had moved onto a dirt road a half hour or so ago and had yet to pass by another soul.

Their motel was deep in the city.

Jack shook his head, smiled slightly. "Oh no we're not," he told her. "I know exactly where – "

They turned a corner and more trees came into view as did the side of a mountain.

"We are," he finished weakly.

Sam quirked an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? Where are we then?"

Grinning sheepishly, Jack took a hand from the steering wheel to pat her shoulder.

"We," he said, "are in the middle of nowhere, a.k.a., the city of the trees, a.k.a., completely and unquestionably lost."

_fin._


	6. Sushi Tree

**_Sushi Tree_**

"You're taking me on a picnic?" Sam asked.

Jack nodded and grinned. "Yup."

"In a tree house?"

"Yup."

She stared at him in wonder, in bewilderment, her eyes wide. In the gentle light they shimmered the same sparkling blue as the ocean.

"For real?" she asked.

He nodded some more.

"Okay," she agreed. "That sounds like it could be fun. If not a little insane."

He took her hand in his and led her down a dirt path beside the tiny store they'd pulled up at. The path ended at the base of a humongous tree with a rope ladder hanging down from it.

He waved her onward. "It'll be great fun," he said enthusiastically as she began to climb.

She called back down to him. "What are we having?"

She could hear the amusement in his voice.

"Sushi."

"Sushi? Wow." She paused halfway up the ladder. "Just when I thought it couldn't get any stranger."

_fin._


	7. Speaking Of Clear

**_Speaking Of Clear_**

"Sir."

"Carter."

"There's a storm coming. We should pack it in and head home."

"Awww, c'mon! Where's your sense of adventure?"

"Sir! I'm not kidding. I don't want to get caught out in the rain – "

The first drops of rain begin to fall as if on cue. It grows heavier within seconds and the wink picks up, thrashing the branches of nearby trees around. Sam untangles herself from Jack's arms.

" – like this."

"It appears we're too late to avoid it." Smirk.

"Clearly." A frown.

"Speaking of clear…"

"What? Oh! Sir!" Sam hurriedly crosses her arms over her chest.

"Hey! I didn't make it rain. It's not my fault." (_Though I wish it was_, Jack almost adds.)

Eye roll. "I knew I should have worn a thicker shirt!"

_fin._


	8. Blinded

**_Blinded_**

Everywhere he goes, he sees her. At every corner, at every turn, her face burns into his mind. He sees nothing else.

He is not certain why that is. He of course is smart enough to know that he has serious feelings for her, but that doesn't explain it.

Just because he loves her, he's not going to lose sight of everything else around him. He's not going to be blinded. Right?

Is he?

No. It doesn't make sense and until proven otherwise that's what he's sticking with. Love is not what has him seeing her everywhere he goes. Love has not blinded him. Not at all.

Not in the slightest.

_fin._


	9. Absolutely Not

_**Absolutely Not**_

"But, sir!"

"You know what? Right now I don't care. Right now, you have absolutely no power over me whatsoever. Not one little bit."

Sam offers a soft smile on the edge of innocent and utterly seductive and it almost undoes him. She twirls a strand of hair around her finger and stares at him from behind big blue eyes.

Her eyes are so blue, he finds himself thinking. So. Damn. Blue.

Damn it!

"No! Absolutely not! I won't say it again, Carter!"

She pouts and it is his undoing.

"I mean, I...you...what if someone walks in?"

Her lips crash into his taking his indecision as an invitation. She slams him into the wall and his question hangs in the air, forgotten, until they break for air.

Sam grins at him, an evil cunning grin. "Right now?" she says. "I don't care."

_fin._


	10. Catch Me If I Fall

_**Catch Me If I Fall**_

"I don't know about this, sir," Sam murmurs. "I think we should stop. Now. Before any of this starts."

"Ahh, Carter. C'mon now. It'll be fine." Jack offers her an encouraging smile and pats her on the shoulder. He winks at her as he finishes tying the laces of his skates and then leans down to strap pads to his legs.

"Sir, it's not that I don't want to do this, but – "

"But what, Carter? You don't like ice hockey?"

She looks at him from behind panicked eyes. "No, I like ice hockey. It's something…else, sir."

"Oh?" He frowns slightly. "What is it then?"

"I…I'm not the best ice skater, sir," she tells him, her voice low.

Jack studies her for a moment as if assessing whether she's telling him the truth or not. His eyes widen. "You go through a giant blue swirly thing to other planets on a daily basis and you get shot at almost as often. Carter. You really can't skate?"

She shakes her head. "Not well, sir."

He stares at her some more and then smiles. "Well then," he says. "Don't worry about it. I'll help you."

"You'll…catch me if I fall?" she nearly whispers. "God, did I really just say that?"

His smile widens.

"Of course I'll catch you. I'll always be there for you."

_fin._


	11. Video Games

_**Video Games**_

_"You look so beautiful today,_

_When you're sitting there_

_It's hard for me to look away"_

_~ "I Can Wait Forever" by Simple Plan_

_

* * *

_He watches her hands on the control console of his play station. She is so very talented with her hands and those oh so slender fingers (her precise movements fascinate him) that he can help it. He is mesmerized and can't look away.

The images onscreen – a cartoon bear sitting in a car that Carter is controlling and a collection of similar looking computerized opponents – barely register in his mind. While he can watch her there's nothing that can capture his attention so intensely, apocalypses and the odd end of the world scenarios being the only exceptions. Those he puts all his effort into so that he may face another day to spend with Carter. And he is rather fond of Earth, too. It would be a shame to see it go up in flames. His cabin, the lake…

He realises she has finished the round when he finds her amused blue eyes upon his. The corner of her mouth twitches slightly and then forms a wide grin.

"You're doing well there," he offers, smiling back at her.

She quirks an eyebrow. "How would you know?" she teases. "You've been too busy watching me to have been able to pay attention to the game."

"Me? Nooo…" Jack replies.

"Sir!"

"Ah…well. There maybe have been a little watching. But only a little."

"A _little?_" Carter sniggers.

Onscreen, her animated bear continues on a lap without her aide amongst a spray of colour.

"Or a lot," Jack corrects. "But you are doing well. You won this round. And the last. And that move you did halfway through? Wow."

Carter smiles slightly. "That move _was _pretty good."

"See? I do more than just watch you. I also watch you playing on my play station. That's got to count for something."

Smirking, Carter hands him the control, her skin brushing his as she does so She lingers a moment before pulling away.

Jack grins.

"My turn to watch," Carter winks at him.

_fin._


	12. Wish I Could, Wish You Could

_**Wish I Could, Wish You Could**_

**Notes:** Tag to _Window Of Opportunity_.

"Sir? Could I talk with you a moment?"

Jack paused in the hall and looked up at her. "Sure, Carter. What do you want to talk about?"

She pressed her lips together, waved him into the closest room. She shut the door behind them. "The time loop, sir," she explained. "It's been bugging me."

"Carter?"

"It's just that…what happened? What did you do while looping? I've been wondering all day." She smiled sheepishly and ran a hand through her hair.

"Ahh, Carter. The time loops, huh? Good times. Good times." He returned the smile.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yup."

"I thought you were sick of them."

"I was, am, sick of them. And fruit loops. But we had some fun times, Teal'c and I did." He paused to stare dreamily into space, recalling just what they'd done.

"We played golf through the Stargate," he began. "Must've broken every record there is in regard to distance."

"Funny, sir," she smiled.

"I taught Teal'c to juggle. I learn after much time how to master the art that is pottery. And as you already know, Teal'c and I learnt Latin. Oh yeah. And I quit the SGC," he finished with a small sigh.

"You quit? Why?"

"You asked me 'why' then, too," he said.

Her face scrunched up in confusion.

"I didn't quit because I wanted to…well, quit," he explained. "It left…other things open, to be explored." He ran a finger over his lips pointedly and stared at her lips as he spoke.

A glimmer of understanding came into her expression. "Things best left unsaid now by any chance?"

His smile widened. It became more crooked.

"Oh!" she said. "Okay."

She studied him for a moment as he relived that moment, that loop, in his mind.

"I wish I could remember it," she told him with a frown.

His smile faded slightly and his expression grew somber. He looked her in the eyes and ran his tongue across his lips.

"I wish you could too," he said. "I really do."

_fin._


	13. Days Come And Go

_Song is "Forever" by Papa Roach._

**_Days Come And Go_**

Jack listened half-heartedly to the song on the radio as he drove towards the SGC for a 7am debriefing. It wasn't the type of song he'd usually listen to, but he was tired and couldn't be bothered changing the station.

Also, it was kind of catchy.

The chorus came on as he parked, so he left the radio on and fiddled with his belongings.

_Because days come and go_

_But my feelings for you are forever_

As soon as he heard the lyrics he thought of Sam.

His mind raced.

They captured everything he felt for her and then some.

_fin._


	14. Looking Good

**_Looking Good_**

"Are you sure about this?" He eyes Sam critically and wonders to himself, not for the first time, what he's gotten himself into.

Sam turns from the doohickey at her fingertips and grins.

_Boy is she hot when she grins, _he thinks to himself before he remembers this is her lab, they're at work and those sorts of musings are best locked away until later, when they get home, never mind the fact that what they're doing should probably be put off for off-the-job hours.

"I'm sure," Sam confirms with a nod. "It'll be perfect."

He eyes the contraption he just spent the past half hour watching her create. It's remarkably simple and yet appears so very sturdy and effective.

"It's looking good," he mutters in encouragement (She made it so it must be good.)

Sam smiles and continues to fiddle with it for a moment. Her gracefulness and the speed at which her fingers move captivate him. She stops and fixes him with another dazzling smile. "It's done."

She holds out the completed project and he takes it carefully from her to inspect it. It's even better close up. "You did a really great job with this, Carter," he tells her. "I'm impressed."

Sam shrugs modestly. "It's not my best work. We'll have to test it out later, take it down to the lake."

He places the fishing rod down and drags a hand through his hair, smiling. "That we will," he says. His grin fades when he sees the glint in Sam's eyes. "What? Do I have something in my hair?" He brushes more furiously.

Sam smirks. "No, it's just that there's only one rod and there are two of us," she hinted. She gestured towards the remaining equipment.

"My turn to make?"

"And my turn to watch."

_fin._


	15. Compromise

**_Compromise_**

"Don't go."

"Jack! I have to go. Everything is sorted. I'm all packed. They're waiting for me."

"Stay."

"I wish I could but Atlantis needs a leader and for now I'm it."

"Screw them. Tell them you've got someplace else to be."

"I can't. I'm sorry."

"Then promise me at least that you won't fall in love with it and decide to stay there."

"I'm already _in_ love. My home will always be with you. You know that."

"I still don't like this. We won't be able to see each other every day anymore."

"I don't entirely like the idea of going either. It'll be an adventure, sure, but I'm going to miss you. I wish you could come."

"We both know I can't. I would if I could."

"I know."

"I could maybe visit, though. Pack myself in with the supplies and trojan horse my way in."

"You'd better. And really, Jack. I'll be there as long as I'm needed and no longer. I'd miss you too much if I stayed permanently. I'll be thinking of you every day."

"I'll hold you to that."

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

_fin._


	16. Still Intact

**_Still Intact_**

"Theoretically," Sam said, "it should have gone perfectly." She frowned slightly and began fiddling with the dials on her latest doohickey.

Jack watched her, raised an eyebrow. "How often does that happen?" he muttered.

She ignored him and continued with her explanation. "The Replicators should have disintegrated when I turned it on and yet," she pointed at the few connected pieces of Replicator in the glass case beside her.

"They didn't disintegrate," he filled in.

"No," she agreed. "They're still intact."

She stopped changing the machine's settings and straightened up. "It could take awhile," she told him.

He nodded.

"You don't have to stick around. I'll let you know when I'm done."

Raking a hand through his hair, he shrugged. His dimples showed clearly on his face. "I want to," he said. At her questioning look, he added, "I like to watch."

She smirked at him and shook her head in mild disbelief. "Fair enough. Keep quiet."

Watching him out of the corner of her eye, she got back to work.

"And don't touch that!"

_fin._


	17. Good Times

**_Good Times_**

He's sifting through stacks of incomplete paperwork when he finds it. It's exactly how he remembers it. The frame is made of dark wood and is smooth to the touch. Inside, the photograph is remarkably preserved given everything it's been through.

He used to keep the photo in his pack when he went on missions with SG-1 and he took it in his briefcase when he moved to Washington.

Sam had given him the frame later on and he'd immediately inserted the photo into it. It meant he couldn't take it everywhere with him as he used to – it was too heavy with the frame – but it would at least be safe from harm behind the glass.

He lets his gaze roam over the younger faces of Sam and himself. They are sitting next to each other on a bench at a comfortable (yet still rather close) distance. Huge grins are spread over both their faces and Sam's eyes glint magically in the sunlight. His are as dark a brown as ever.

It had been a good day, quiet and mundane. The team had gotten together for a picnic on their downtime and he and Sam had spent most of the time talking and joking and laughing while Daniel and Teal'c amused themselves with a stray dog they came across. It had been normal, a thing his life was rather lacking at the time.

Good times, definitely.

He props the back of the frame up and sits it on his desk. Only he and possibly his secretary would see the photo, but the thought that he'd be able to look back on his past and one of the best days of his life made him smile.

Feeling lighter and happier, he turns back to the awaiting paperwork. This time as he sorts it, he hums quietly to himself.

_fin._


	18. Worth The Wait

**_Worth The Wait_**

She hadn't expected this. She had wanted it for years now perhaps, but she hadn't expected it.

She had always thought that things would go differently – if they ever actually made it past the standstill they had reached. That the situation she was no in was happening…it was a little overwhelming to be perfectly honest. It was overwhelming but it was far from unwelcome.

This day, this moment, would stay with her for the rest of time.

Sam pulled back from the kiss reluctantly and her eyes met brown ones, deep and full of lust, for her. She grinned.

"We should have done this years ago," she said softly, entwining her fingers with Jack's. She studied him for a moment, committing his features to memory: the way the corners of his mouth crinkled up into the sexy Jack O'Neill smile she had always loved, the tiny scar on his neck, his hair, ruffled and messy from their making out session.

Making out session. Heh.

She'd never even let herself believe that anything along those lines would actually happen outside of her imagination. It had seemed so distant a desire, unobtainable and for awhile, it had been just that.

Until now.

Jack squeezed her hand gently, the pad of his thumb smoothing circles over her skin and she felt her heart leap as he leaned in to kiss her again.

This time when they parted, Jack offered her a mischievous grin. "Maybe we should make up for some of that lost time," he suggested.

She ducked her head shyly and then nodded when no words would form.

_Oh yeah_, she thought to herself. _This was definitely worth the wait!_

_fin._


	19. Moving Beyond

_**Moving Beyond**_

In the past, they'd been unable to pursue a relationship beyond that of friends. The frat regs had stood in their way and their jobs had been dangerous – to get too emotionally involved would be disastrous to their missions.

If something happened to either one of them on a mission, it would have created conflict in what to do. Save their significant other or complete the mission?

The mission usually involved saving the world and so was the highest priority.

Those obstacles gone now that Jack had moved to Washington, he saw no reason why they shouldn't follow up on something.

There had always been a certain something between them, from the day they first met. It had only grown with time and it made sense that they finally give a real relationship, a romantic relationship, a go.

Smiling softly to himself, Jack picked up his phone and dialled Sam's number.

_fin._


	20. No Blue Jello

_A/N: I don't really like this one - it didn't flow easily when I wrote it and tbh, it's kind of lame if you ask me *g* - but one of you guys might like it. So... enjoy. Or not. ;)_

**_No Blue Jello_**

"You lied to me!" Sam said furiously to Jack as he stood in her doorway. "You lied straight to my face!" She glared at him and if looks could kill…

Jack cringed.

"It was for your own good," he reasoned. "A little white lie to keep you from doing something you'd later regret." Backing away a few steps, he considered making a run for it. Ultimately, he decided stay. Leaving now would mean even more pain later, which he did not want to face.

"You told me there was no blue jello left!" Sam retorted, exasperated. "Daniel came in a few minutes ago and said there's plenty."

She was getting really annoyed now, Jack noticed objectively. He nodded weakly at the plate of pie in his hands and swallowed nervously before explaining. "If you saw what the cafeteria ladies did to the jello you'd be thanking me right now."

He placed the plate on her desk and stood back. "Pie," he said simply. "Much safer today."

Without another word, he swiftly exited. He'd make up for it all later.

Sam eyed the pie as if it was preparing to attack her and then sighed. She picked up the spoon and took a mouthful. "They'd better have done some really bad things to that jello!"

_fin._


	21. Some Understanding

_A/N: Missing scene for "Point Of View"._

**_Some Understanding_**

Jack sat in his quarters and stared into space as his mind ran through the events of his day so far.

An alternate Carter and Kawalsky had come through the…mirror thing. The quantum mirror. Yeah. That was it.

Well, anyway, they had ended up at the SGC and it was just weird! WEIRD with capital letters. While the idea of having two Carter's, two Sam's, around was…well, kind of nice, to be honest…it also was confusing as hell.

And the fact that the Carter from the alternate reality was in a relationship with him – and was married to him – in her reality was more than a little unsettling. He had no idea how he was supposed to act around her or either of them for that matter.

He had no idea how he would deal if the alternate Carter – and Kawalsky, too – stayed. Nothing in his training had prepared him for this.

If that wasn't enough he was also becoming increasingly curious about how his Carter was dealing. If he was having this much trouble with the situation what she must be feeling must be worse. He hoped, again, that she'd find it easier to handle than he was.

She understood more about what was going on, so maybe she was.

Sighing, he pulled himself to his feet and headed for General Hammond's office. He was getting nowhere with his thoughts, so he figured he might as well go along with whatever scenario played out. Let someone else make the tough decisions for once.

Maybe if paid extra attention, he'd find some understanding in whatever it was that was going on. Maybe.

_fin._


	22. Away From Prying Eyes

_**Away From Prying Eyes**_

Major Samantha Carter had a secret.

She had been keeping it hidden away from prying eyes for so long now that it was hard to say the exact moment it had begun, but it was there and it was very real.

It was a secret that once out would humiliate her and make her a hypocrite, because she had spent hours criticising and mocking those who publicly admitting to liking it, a certain Jack O'Neill in particular.

Shrugging as if none of that mattered, she reached over the couch and grabbed the remote in preparation for a night of her dirty little secret.

She found the correct channel, made herself comfortable and after ten or so minutes was so absorbed in the program that she didn't notice the door open or the soft padding of footsteps making their way towards her.

All she could see and hear were the characters onscreen. Everything else lost all meaning and faded out.

The footsteps grew louder as they neared and stopped in the doorway.

After a minute or two of silence, as Sam continued to watch the TV, he spoke.

"So you don't like '_The Simpson's_', huh?"

Her throat caught.

Oh crap!

_fin._


	23. When I'm Gone

_**When I'm Gone**_

"Carter," Jack murmured quietly to her as she passed him a beer. "What do you think will happen when I'm gone?" He took the bottle with a quick nod of 'thanks' and expertly flicked off the lid. He watched as across from him, Sam did the same.

"Gone?" she asked, smoothing down her skirt with one hand and sitting down on the couch next to him.

Jack nodded. "Gone. As in when I move to DC and get the extremely fun desk job."

Realising his meaning – or rather the meaning behind the meaning – Sam took a mouthful of beer. Swallowing it down, she smiled at him. "Oh, I think I have a few ideas," she told him. "How about you?"

The sly smile he offered in response would have been unnerving to anyone who didn't know him well. "I think you're not alone in that."

"That's good to hear," Sam acknowledged.

They both fell silent.

"Should we test out these 'ideas'?" Jack suggested. "Just to make sure they work out alright, of course."

"I'm sure they'll work fine, Jack," Sam replied, choking back a laugh.

Raised eyebrows, Jack looked her over in disbelief. "I think you're missing my point, Sam. Some genius you are." He ran his tongue over his lips, all the while looking at her, eyes roaming her body.

Sam stared blankly at him for a moment. What did he-?

"Oh," she said finally. "Oh!"

Jack smirked as she sidled closer to him and laid a hand on his lip.

"Yes," Sam agreed slyly. "We should definitely do some experiments beforehand…just to make sure."

Jack grinned. "Sounds like a plan."

_fin._


	24. Uniform

_**Uniform**_

"So what colour is it going to be this morning, Colonel?"

She smiled at the sound of Jack's voice. It always made getting out of bed to answer the phone worth the trouble. Brushing a hand through mussed-up bed hair, she stifled a yawn and readjusted her cell against her ear. "Mmm, the dark green?"

"I was thinking the blue," came the response.

She took a moment to consider. "I believe those are still in the wash, sir."

"C'mon, Carter," he drawled. "You've left your washing late again?"

"Funny, sir."

"I try my best."

"I know you do." She rolled her eyes. "What did Teal'c suggest?"

The line hummed.

"Are you still there?" she asked.

"I'm here."

Her lips curled up. "He said dark green too, didn't he?" She fished through the contents of the washing she'd most recently washed. Her fingers travelled over the fabric of several different coloured BDU's before settling on the dark green ones.

"Maybe?"

She held back a laugh and pulled at the BDU's, freeing them of the rest of her laundry. "Call Teal'c and tell him we're going with the dark green."

"But Carter!" Jack whined.

"I'll see you on base, sir."

"That you will."

Before she clicked her cell shut, she added, "in dark green."

_fin._


	25. Bowls

_**Bowls**_

"Sir?" Sam said.

Jack flicked his gaze up to meet her liquid blue eyes. They shimmered unusually brightly. He put it down as her blue BDUs bringing out their colour. "Carter?"

"With all due respect, sir, what the hell are you doing?" Putting her hands on her lips, she stared at him as if he had just professed to the world his love for Teal'c. One eyebrow was quirked up slightly in near perfect imitation of said Jaffa.

The apron tied around him was surprisingly restrictive but Jack managed to shrug. He tilted his head to the side. "Why, Carter,' he drawled. "Anyone would think you don't know what cooking is!"

Snorting softly, Sam shook her head. "I could say the same about you. I'm certain that when other people cook they actually put the ingredients in a bowl." She nodded at the white substance on his shirt and the table in front of him. There was even a smear of it on his nose.

"Ah, but where's the fun in that?"

"There's actually cake to be eaten by the time it's made?" Sam threw back with a smug grin. "You are making a cake, are you not? At this rate you'll only have enough left over for crumbs"

"Ha ha." He retrieved a spoon from the bench and began to stir the mixture in the bowl in front of him.

"Do you want some help?" Sam grinned.

"No, no. I've got this all under control. You, go. Read a book. Play with a yo-yo. You can borrow mine! I'll bring you a slice of cake once it's done." He waved the spoon in the air; a glob of mixture sloughed off and fell on the floor. He looked at it, lips curling up slightly in disdain and then he looked back and smiled like nothing happened.

"Okay, if you're sure," she murmured, offering him a quizzical look.

"Oh, I'm sure. I'm very sure."

"Just... don't make too much of a mess."

"Who me?" He grinned at her. "Never."

_fin._


	26. Imprisoned in his Body

_**Imprisoned in his Body**_

"He's a prisoner in his own body, Sam. He can hear everything you say to him but he can't do anything about it. He can't move and he can't talk." Janet pats her comfortingly on the shoulder as her friend stares blankly ahead. "It can't be easy for him."

Across from them, Jack lies back on one of the infirmary beds. Crisp white sheets are pulled up to his middle. His head rests on a pillow and his eyes are open, occasionally blinking or moving from side to side. That movement and the gentle rise and fall of his chest are the only signs he is still amongst the living.

Janet breathes in and exhales and then takes Sam by the arm and guides her towards him. "I think he'd like to see you. In fact, I know he would."

As if broken from a trance, Sam shakes her head. "I can't, Janet. I..."

"I know. But what if he doesn't get better? What if he doesn't come out of it? You'll regret not talking to him and not seeing him now. And Sam. I'm sorry, but there is a good chance he's not going to make it out of this one. He may very well be in this state for the rest of his life."

Sam clamps her eyes shut. Moisture leaks out of the corner of one eye. She swipes at it and blinks a few times, sniffling.

"I'll be right here," Janet says.

"Okay," she agrees softly. She looks at Janet for a moment and then turns to Jack and takes a few steps towards him.

"You'll be fine," Janet adds.

She nods and glances back as Janet moves a little further down the infirmary to give them some privacy.

* * *

"Hey, sir." Sam hesitates when she reaches the foot of his bed, unsure of what to do. Should she move closer? Should she sit on the edge of his bed like Daniel was earlier (when she peeked around the door to see him and immediately chickened out) or should she pull up a chair?

She takes another few steps towards him and hovers there, by his side. "I'm sorry. I don't know what to say." Looking into his eyes, she shifts her weight from one foot to the other. Her tongue darts out to wet her lips.

Jack's eyes seem to focus on her and she swallows. Is he reallly aware of her presence? Or does it just seem that way? She casts her gaze downwards and at once, she notices his hand lying limply on top of the sheets. There are tubes going in and out of his skin and liquids of various colours - clear in one tube and an almost yellow colour in another - moving through them.

Sam glances up when a nurse passes by, her shoes clacking loudly on the ground, and then looks back at Jack. "Janet told me you've had a lot of visitors today," she says. "That must have been nice."

She edges even closer and reaches out to take his hand in hers. It's cold. She squeezes it gently and tries to ignore how different it feels to normal. He has taken her hand many times before and never has it felt like it holds so little warmth. It's like ice now. It's unnatural. "Boy, you're cold!"

She feels a chill go through her that has nothing to do with the clammy hand in hers and the temperature of the room. Sam forces herself to breathe in deep and let it out. She closes her eyes for a moment and then opens them again. She can't stay here. It's too much. She can feel tears prickling at the back of her eyes and her throat has a solid lump in it that is making it difficult to breathe.

"Get better soon, okay? It's not the same without you there." She forces a smile and once more, squeezes Jack's hand before letting it go. She grabs at the blanket covering him and pulls it further up to cover his hands and part of his arms. That done, she stands and slowly turns and walks away from him.

Janet tries to stop her on her way out the door and ask how things went, but she shakes her head and keeps going. Her eyes fill with tears.

Of all the ways Jack could have gone out, being trapped inside his own body like a prisoner or a mental patient strapped into a straightjacket, was not something she thought would ever happen. It kills her to see him in such a state. It kills her that she can't stay with him and offer her support for fear of breaking down. Even more so, it kills her to think it should have been her. Jack took her place in the mission that put him into his current state.

She should be the one lying there.

_fin._


	27. Journeys Through Space

_**Journeys Through Space**_

Years brought them to where they are now. Those years were filled with journeys through space and to other planets. They have faced all kinds of troubling situations together and have met an astounding number of alien races. They have nearly lost each other in battles and they have lost some of their friends.

It has been a long and strenuous trip; none of it has been easy. Falling into a relationship hasn't been hugs and puppies either, but the feelings have certainly stayed strong and kept them fighting to survive what life throws at them. This is only another step forwards.

"This is going to change things," Sam says softly. There is a warning behind her words. They have faced death together but one day something might come between them and end what they have. One day, one of them might forever be taken from the other.

Jack's smile is tentative and his eyes, warm. "I know."

Sam sucks her lower lip into her mouth and chews on it.

"Are you okay with that?" he asks.

She looks at him for a moment too long and then nods, blushing slightly. "Yeah. Are you?"

Jack's grin widens. "Can I call him Santa's Little Helper?" He holds the puppy up for Sam to inspect. "It is that time of year."

"No way," Sam says with a laugh. "If we're getting this puppy, he's gonna have a real name."

"You're saying that's not a real name?"

Sam rolls her eyes.

"Fine," Jack says. "We'll name him later."

"Later?" Sam teases. "I don't think that's much better."

"Ha!" Jack leads the way to the register at the front of the store. "Ya know, whatever we call this little guy, he's gonna be awesome. Famous even."

"Famous?" Sam smirks.

Jack nods. "No dog before him will have had the pleasure of space travel."

_fin._


	28. Grins & Grenades

_**Grins & Grenades**_

Carter grinned to herself as she cleaned her P-90. Their last mission had gone particular well, with her saving the day while O'Neill, Daniel and Teal'c hid in some old shack the locals had constructed, unaware.

None of them had expected she would be attacked on heading down to the lake a few minutes from the shack. If they had, the others would have certainly gone with her for back up. She knew O'Neill would have insisted.

Alas, it had not occurred to them as an option. This was supposed to be a nice, quiet meet with some allies wanting to trade. Nothing more. It wasn't meant to be dangerous.

None of them had expected either, that the same people wanted to kill all of SG-1, and had some very neat equipment prepped to take them out.

They'd had no clue, really.

They hadn't thought it'd be nearly as dangerous.

And yet…

"What are you grinning about?"

She turned to see O'Neill himself standing at her door. If anything, seeing him made her grin wider. "Nothing sir," she said.

"Oh, it's somethin'." He smiled one of his more quiet smiles and studied her. "Say, Carter. You're not still caught up in your moment of heroism, are you?"

"My moment of-" She looked at him, confused.

"The surprise attack last mission," he added. "You potentially saving us all."

"They had grenades, sir. If I hadn't got them in time, you'd all be dead."

"Very well. I'll give you that."

"You'll _give_ me that? I _won_ that one fair and square. I saved your lives."

"And we appreciate it," O'Neill replied. "But don't let it go to your head."

"Do I really seem like the type who would-"

"Why were you grinning?" He smirked when that shut her up. He fiddled with a doohickie he found on her desk and a few moments later, seriousness filtered through his wisecracks. "Carter. I have something to tell you."

"What's that?"

"I wanted to say thank you. For saving my life. And Teal'c's. And Daniel's. You know. Even after ribbing you about it, I need you to know. We're grateful."

Carter smiled at that, though it wasn't the all out happy grin she'd been wearing before. It was calmer, more serene, and far more humbled. "Not a problem, sir. Just doin' my job."

"Oh, you went beyond your job, Major."

"Thank you, sir."

"Drop the sir, Carter."

"Yes, sir… Uh, Colonel. O'Neill."

He smirked. "Jack. Jack is fine."

"Jack," she tried. "I think we should keep the 'sir' while at work though."

"As you wish." He waved a hand in the air as if he were a genie and was granting her every desire. Cinematics, really. He was sure that if there were actual genies, they wouldn't have to do any hand waving to grant wishes.

Surely they were all powerful and didn't require an action as mundane as the wave of a hand. But then, he had never met a genie so who was he to assume anything about them?

Carter grinned. "Why are you always so… you?"

"What?"

"You just… have a way that you act, I guess. It's… interesting."

"I try my best. To… uh, be me."

"Right." Carter blushed. She wasn't often the type to do so, but something in O'Neill brought it out in her. He certainly was an interesting man.

Sometimes she wondered about him… what he was like when he wasn't at work, what he liked to do, what music he listened to. She wondered what quirks there were she didn't know about, and what he thought of her.

She could feel her cheeks warm up more. It was a good thing he couldn't read her thoughts. What would he think of her if he knew she thought about him as much as she did? "Well, uh. I should get back to… you know."

"Me too. Yeah. I have… stuff," he agreed. "But first. Tell me. Why were you grinning?"

Carter narrowed her eyes a moment and then she shook her head. "Fine. I'll tell you."

He smiled, smug at the thought that he was able to get that bit of information out of her.

"I was grinning," she said, "Because I saved my friend's lives and so there will be many more days in the future for me to spend with them-" She hesitated.

"That's nice."

"-and torture them with the fact that they nearly got killed and didn't realise because they were busy consuming pancakes."

"They were homemade!" O'Neill protested.

"There were grenades!"

"Homemade and with fresh fruit!"

"You could've died," she retorted.

"Maple syrup right from the tree!"

Yep. Carter felt the corners of her mouth twitch up again. There was nothing quite like the feeling of surviving nearly imminent death and having your friends survive, too.

_Fin._


	29. Back Out

_**Back Out**_

_This is my last goodbye_  
_Leaving all of the memories_  
_of you behind_  
- My Last Goodbye, Trading Yesterday

He can't quite grasp the concept that this might be the last time he sees her, but he pretends he does and puts on a brave face. Hell, he's seen a lot of awful things in his time - and she has too. Why shouldn't he survive this mission?

He suspects it has something to do with the word the General put before 'mission'. Suicide missions rarely end well, he has found. A many good men he has known have sacrificed themselves like that, in the line of duty.

It's his time now.

He smiles - a forced smile - at her across the hall where she's watching him and wringing her hands.

"I'll be back before you know it," he says.

Her frown deepens. So much for that lie.

"You can still back out."

There's nothing he wants more than to say he will, for her - except that if he doesn't do this, they probably won't live to see another day anyway. What is his life in the scheme of things when so many others are being threatened?

He checks his gear for a third time. "No, I can't."

He hates to see the sadness in her eyes but it's better than he does this rather than wait with her and everyone else to die. His feet carry him to the control room at their own accord and he can sense her following behind him. The stargate's seventh chevron locks. He can't make himself say goodbye.

He takes one last look at her and then steps through to the other side.

_fin._


	30. At Long Last

_**At Long Last**_

At long last, he has a reason to tell her. There is nothing standing in the way any longer – not the job or a potential apocalypse, and no Pete. All that was holding him back has been removed, pushed aside, and it leaves him with an opportunity he has desired for a long time.

So why, he asks himself, is he hesitating?

It's not like he's never asked someone he likes out to dinner before. He's had his share of relationships. He's been married. Experience is not something he is lacking in. In the end those were relationships that just weren't meant to be.

There's the age aspect also. The years between them unsettles the tiny part of him that hasn't been able to shake the belief that she can do better than him. She deserves someone closer in age to her to spend the rest of her life with.

He more or less got past that fear years ago, when they were tested for zatarcs and had to share the truth about their feelings for one another.

He's running out of ideas. Why isn't he taking the chance now, when things are lining up so perfectly for them?

Wait. Perfectly? Nothing is ever perfect.

Perhaps that is it. Maybe he's afraid to make a move because after all these years it should be perfect – and he is merely an imperfect human being. Perfection is an impossibility. And she deserves far more than nearly perfect.

_fin._


	31. Rainy, Long, Bothersome

_**Rainy, Long, Bothersome**_

The storm rages on outside the window. Tree branches thrash from side to side, bent over by the ferocious wind. Rain pelts down at an unearthly speed.

Sam stands a few steps from the window, rooted in place. Her gaze is unfocused but if anyone had been there to watch, her they would think she's simply viewing the storm.

There's a sharp rapping noise and she pulls from her reverie of sorts and turns around. With a small sigh, she takes one of her last breaths of air of those she will have to herself for the rest of the night, and then steps purposefully towards the door.

She turns the knob and moves back a little as she pulls it open.

"Honey, I'm home," Jack jokes. He waggles his eyebrows at her as he lowers an umbrella, shakes it out and closes it.

"Hey you." She smiles softly and watches him enter and pass by her, dropping a suitcase on the floor and keeping a hold on the dripping umbrella. "How was the trip?"

"Rainy. Long. Bothersome. And did I mention the rain? There was cake though."

"Oh yeah?"

"Some guy's birthday was the other day. We got to talking awhile on the train and when he left, he forgot his cake. I didn't have his number and it would have been rude to just leave it there..."

She rolls her eyes, trying to hide the smirk that tugs at her lips.

"It's good to be home," he says, changing the topic. "How're you? You seem very, uh, quiet."

"I'm...just tired, I guess. I'm glad you're back." She leans up and presses a kiss to the corner of his mouth.

He smiles at her when she pulls back. "I'm gonna take a shower. Care for some cake when I'm done?"

"Sure." Sam watches him disappear into the bathroom and lets out a contented sigh. Her gaze is drawn to the window again and the rain splattering against the windowpane but she doesn't return to staring out into the storm.

Instead she heads for the warmth of their bedroom, flipping on the heater and waiting for Jack and the cake. There is nothing better than Jack and cake on rainy days.

_fin._


End file.
